Sea of Stars
by Love Alchemist
Summary: Shounen ai, possible yaoi. It has been more than a year since the manga ended, and Yuugi and Ryou are slowly falling apart from the absence of their other halves. Something must be done, but what CAN be done? YYY yaoi, BR friendship
1. Night Everlasting

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

This little thing was dumped by one of my more energetic plot bunnies. I've never had a fic write itself so fast and easy. Hope you'll like it.

The fic starts after the end of the manga since I was never happy with how it ended. But this is a try to at least keep the canon as much as possible. Only AU after the manga... is that AU at all? XD;;;

Chapter 1: Night Everlasting

It still hurt. Not as much as before, but it still hurt. He didn't think the pain would ever go away. The loss had been too deep, too heart wrenching in the way when you lose something that's as important as your very life.

Yuugi looked up at the silky darkness above, seeing no clouds but yet the slow flutter of white stubbornly continued, smothering the night in overwhelming fluffy cold.

He wished he could see the stars. He could remember they had looked like a sea of diamonds in the Dreamworld. Sighing, the multi-hued haired youth steered his feet back towards home again, boots dragging in the already inch-deep layer of snow, breath fogging in front of his face with every warm exhalation.

Was this it? Was this all there was to the rest of his life?

Empty?

He knew of course that it only felt empty. He still had all his friends, and he couldn't have been happier with Katsuya's support and friendship. The blond filled the void as well as no one else could.

Unfortunately, the void was still there.

He had a lot to thank Anzu for too, but in the end they hadn't been enough. They had been together for a while, lasting almost a whole year before they broke up. They were both looking for something else... the same thing actually.

Yuugi shook his head, sending snowflakes dancing in the air as he disturbed them from their rest on his spikes, trying to dislodge these thoughts.

But they always came back when he was alone. That it wasn't enough, that something fundamental, something he had had but now were lost, was gone.

And the hole it had left could just not be filled.

A mitten-clad hand strayed to where the Puzzle used to hang from its chain, and that felt empty too.

Missing.

He knew you had to grow up, but how could this be part of it?

He had been whole, dammit!

Had felt the reassuring warmth of his soul being one again, and then it had been ripped apart, again.

Light fell sharply across the pavement for a few steps before it darkened slightly again, Yuugi having moved out of the streetlamp's immediate reach, plunging him into cold, but somehow comforting shadows once more.

And, despite having been treated less than stellar by his other half, Ryou was the only one who really understood.

He was the only one who'd felt that _oneness_, that feeling of being _whole_ again, of getting back something you didn't even know had been missing, and then, in the end, having it ripped away.

They had both become much closer than before, shared pain and all that.

* * *

Warmth and light suddenly flowed over the short young man like a wave of water, almost physical in its intense presence and Yuugi looked up, amethyst eyes locking onto the blond in the doorway.

He couldn't help but smile brightly at his friend, the freezing cold of his dark thoughts being chased away by that one person's familiar presence.

"Jounouchi-kun! You came!" Yuugi laughed and launched himself at Katsuya, hugging him hard around the waist.

"Ow! Yuugi! Of course I came! Can't let my friend down, now can I? You've got a firm grip there." Katsuya grinned and stepped back, forcing Yuugi to come inside the game shop if he didn't want to be dragged.

"Yuugi, you're back in good time. You didn't get too cold, did you?"

The youth smiled at the concern in his grandpa's voice and shook his head.

"No, Jii-chan, I'm fine. It's warm in here. Oh, Bakura-kun! You came too."

The albino boy nodded and smiled slightly, silently thanking Yuugi for the invite to join him and his grandpa for Christmas.

His father hadn't come home this year either, and the apartment seemed so empty. Especially now that he truly was alone... But Yuugi had known it wasn't just because his father wouldn't be home for Christmas that was the reason he had been down lately. So he'd been invited to celebrate Christmas with Yuugi, and apparently

Jounouchi had gotten an invitation too. Ryou wasn't going to ask why. They all had their problems and secrets.

The night progressed cheerfully, all thoughts of loss, missing things, and problematic family banished from their minds, instead it was all filled with laughter, warmth and cheer, friends and family being close.

"Jii-chan?" Yuugi frowned at the envelope tied with a bright red-and-green ribbon and was addressed to both him and Ryou.

"Go on, open it. I have discussed with Isis and she thought it was a good idea... maybe it will help." Sugoroku said with a gentle smile, sympathy deep in the dark eyes lodged amongst the wrinkles.

Both youths frowned at each other, and then shrugged. They were even more confused as it turned out to be plane tickets. To Egypt.

"Jii-chan..?" Yuugi's voice was a whisper, he couldn't help it. Feeling welled up just at seeing the name of the country where his other had gotten peace, and where he lost the other half of his soul.

One of Ryou's pale hands were gripping his arm, but that was all right. They both needed the support. An old, wrinkled hand settled on Yuugi and Ryou's shoulders respectively and both boys looked up, meeting Sugoroku's concerned gaze.

"You need to settle this. It needs to be fixed. This can't be how it was supposed to end! Not if it means I have to see my grandson and one of his friends falling apart silently, loosing their light slowly but surely."

Yuugi had cried when his other had to leave, but he wouldn't cry now, not yet, but he hugged his grandpa tightly, eyes squeezed shut. Maybe it could be changed, or fixed somehow. Maybe he'd get the missing half of him back.

* * *

When the two young men stepped off the plane and were slammed with the wave of dry heat they knew they were, maybe not home, but close enough.

The on-runway bus that took them to the terminals was hot and stuffy, but it didn't matter.

They were in Egypt.

The energy fairly swirled around them, filling them with an internal glow that was familiar. Both almost missed it because of the familiarity, but they looked up at the same time, startled, when they realized it was Shadow magic they were feeling.

The energies of the Shadow Realm were dancing around them, caressing them in welcoming waves. And it did feel welcoming, as if the Shadow Realm had waited for them to come back. But was that good, or bad?

"Mutou! Bakura! Over here!"

Ryou and Yuugi looked around from their trolley and its immediate course to see Malik Ishtar, his sister Isis, and their foster brother/servant Rishid stand close to a row of seats, apparently having waited for them.

"Malik-kun, nice to see you again. Isis-san." Yuugi and Ryou bowed, somehow feeling much better already, but if it was because they were about to do something about their predicament, or because they were in Egypt where it all began and ended, or maybe even because of the Shadows' welcoming, they couldn't say.

"It is nice to see you again. I hope we can do something." Isis said with a smile before gesturing for them to start walking.

Yuugi grinned, feeling the happiest he'd been in a long time now, redirected his attention towards Ryou and Malik and all three young men grappled with the recalcitrant trolley to get it to go where they wanted it to; the wheels seemed to want to go in one direction each.

And despite their history, this somehow made it easy to forget it, or ignore it, whichever, and just bond.

* * *

Stretching out endlessly above them were the night sky of Egypt, cloud-free and infinite, the stars all as bright as far-away supernovas. The air was still warm, but definitely cooler than it had been before, more of a comforting hug than a smothering woolen blanket.

Yuugi, Malik and Ryou were lying on the balcony to the apartment the three Ishtars were living in now, looking at the sky but not really saying anything, only a comment here and there being felled, and all of them clearly avoiding the reason for why they were here.

It's easy to jinx a good thing and besides, it should all have been over and done with over a year ago, and yet they were here, the shadows of memory casting an almost oppressive weight over their minds.

"Don't worry, when the gods' see what this is doing to you, I'm sure they will allow some kind of change." Malik muttered, the sentence coming out slowly, almost as if it was being dragged out of him.

Ryou tipped his head to the side and smiled thankfully at the sandy blond Egyptian.

"Thank you Malik-kun. It means a lot to us."

Malik didn't answer, just shifted nervously, a sneer stretching his lips as he looked up at the brilliant night sky again. Yuugi and Ryou smiled at each other, easily understanding that Malik wasn't used to helping them, or anyone for that matter, and was actually trying to make them feel better, how uneasy it made him feel or how unused he may be to it non-withstanding.

"Hey, Malik-kun?" Yuugi's voice drifted lazily over the soft wind brushing over their skin as the boy rolled over so he was laying on his side and facing Malik.

"Yeah?"

"Have you been practicing your dueling?"

Malik grinned and nodded, sitting up.

"Of course I have. You game, Mutou?"

With a mischievous laugh, Yuugi nodded, blonde bangs bobbing. Ryou grinned and sat up too, ready to follow the duel.

"I get the loser." He said, leaning his chin in the palms of his hands while his elbows rested on his knees, white hair slipping over his shoulders as he leaned forward.

Youthful laughter drifted upwards towards the sky, the energies of the Shadow Realm swirling in subtle eddies and currents around the three gifted boys, all of them feeling it and knowing that with just the smallest of pushes, the duel could be very real indeed.

This made all three nervous, as the Shadow Realm should supposedly be more settled now, and excited all at once. They were apparently gifted with the touch of Shadows even without their Items, which made them feel good.

They weren't as everybody else, and would never be.

But in the back of Ryou and Yuugi's mind a question was clear; why hadn't they felt the energies of the Shadow Realm back in Japan?

* * *

Deep inside the Shadow Realm three beings stirred, having been roused by the presence of such powerful souls connected to the Shadow Realm. But all three could also feel the discordance around the two young souls; they were breaking, even if it wasn't very apparent.

And by the very virtue of what they were, this was a very bad thing indeed. Balance is needed in everything, and if the light in a soul breaks and is flooded by darkness, especially two souls such as gifted as these two boys' were, the consequences could be serious.

"This cannot continue. We did not know the consequences of allowing the darker halves of the Pharaoh and the thief their rest, but it is apparent the balance is being disrupted." The first being, large and slender, a long shadow curling in the darker surroundings, said silently.

Well, 'said', might have been the wrong word, since it was more of a distant bellow, the sound only like a whisper because it seemed to come from so far away. The second one, glowing slightly in short flashes, inclined its head. Heat seemed to rise from its' strangely metallic surface.

"Agreed. While the darkness that once disrupted us has been taken care of, the Guardians of Shadow are severely affected by having been joined, and then torn apart again. Our judgment was not satisfactorily in this instance." The low rumble of the second being's voice was comforting, like the purring of a giant cat, or maybe a very large, but far-away engine. The third one waved its hand in a surprisingly graceful movement, with a thought to how large the thing was.

"And as the Shadows have not been sealed away, and the Guardians not whole, they are not at their full potential and cannot feel the energies of the Shadows if not close to a nexus. This is unacceptable. They cannot protect and care as they are." Its' voice was like the distant roar of a furious storm, only barely held at bay, but churning under the surface.

The three looked at each other, the darkness around them not disrupting their conversation at all, and nodded.

"So will it be."


	2. Clouds across the Moon

Disclaimer: Still don't own YGO! dammit.

Next chapter kiddes. Now it's the tomb...

_/thoughts/_

Chapter 2: Clouds across the Moon

Sand was getting in under their clothes and into the most unpleasant of places, and they hadn't even been walking more than a few steps.

But the light wind that was whipping at them and sending hair flying was the largest factor in this, of course. Yuugi swore softly as he felt the grains chafing in a _most_ embarrassing, and uncomfortable, place.

How the hell did it get in there?! He was wearing pants, dammit! A chuckle to his left had him whipping his face around to glare at the culprit and met Malik's amused lavender eyes.

"Calm down, little Pharaoh. We'll get to the tomb soon enough."

The spiky-haired boy grimaced before frowning. He hadn't been called "little Pharaoh" before. Lots of other things, yes, but not that. But he guessed that was actually what he was, or at least _had been_, so he wasn't going to say anything.

Better than "midget" or whatever else anyone could come up with. Yuugi may not have been very conscious to the fact that he had grown a lot since that night when he had finished the Puzzle, but all of his friends (and those of his former enemies that were still alive) had noticed it.

It had been apparent already before Atemu and Yuugi had had their last duel. So indeed, why not call him for what he was? Yuugi may not have become any _taller_, at least not physically, but mentally he had grown taller than he had been before.

"It should be around here... oh, Ra." Isis' dark blue eyes widened as she saw the entrance to the tomb. Which should have been covered by stones and not wide open.

There was not even a trace of the stones that had fallen to cover the stairs down, only the pristine, if slightly cracked, stone steps themselves.

"Either someone thinks there's something here, and has gone to great length to carry the stones away, or we're expected." Ryou said with a raised eyebrow, pale skin covered by a light jacket and ignoring the warmth and sunlight that was already making the skin on his nose turn pink.

Malik was glaring at the cleared stairway as if it was to blame, or could answer his question to who had done it and if they were down there still.

"Nothing much to be done if we're just gonna stand around and look at it, I say we go down now." Yuugi muttered, loud enough for the others to hear, but not loud enough for the sound to carry too far and maybe alert the people that possibly were in the tomb.

Malik shrugged and Ryou nodded. They had gone here today so why go back just because it wasn't exactly as they had expected it to be?

Isis looked like she wanted to protest, but a quick look at the three young males told her they were going down, with or without her.

"Rishid, we're going down. The stones have been cleared away, so there's a chance for company down there."

"_Understood, Isis-sama. I will have backup ready for you_."

"Thank you Rishid." the cell phone gave a soft click as it was snapped closed and Isis walked up to the her little brother and the two Japanese boys standing at the edge of the stairway, all of them fairly vibrating with nervous energy.

Yuugi nodded once he was she was beside them and walked down first, just casting a quick look behind him to see that they were following.

* * *

It was dark and considerably cooler down here than up on the ground, their flashlights throwing a stream of light in front of them and chasing the shadows to the corners and sides of the stairs.

Despite there having been no stones coving the entrance, the air down here seemed to not have been disturbed since their rather hasty exit more than a year ago.

Small stones lay on the steps, making walking hazardous, and progress slow, but finally they were down on the floor of the tomb.

Waving their light around revealed things as being much as they had left it...stones and broken pillars with their fallen ends lying on the floor, the hole where the Items had fallen through covered by debris, and the door behind the collapsed floor still closed.

"Seems no one is around. I wonder what moved the stones?" Ryou asked no one in particular as they aimlessly walked around the trashed tomb, not really knowing what to do, or how to change what had happened here.

The four ended up in the front of the room, standing on their side of the debris-covered hole, the door on the other side.

Malik looked at his sister with a frown.

"What did we come here for anyway? Nothing's here, even if the stones have been cleared away, which is suspicious, so that we could get in."

Isis shrugged, not knowing the answer. They had all agreed it would be a good idea to check the tomb, but now that she thought about it, what reason was there, except that it was here Atemu had gone to the afterlife and the Items had fallen down...

"What is that?" Ryou had been letting his flashlight wander back and forth to look at the partly collapsed dais and the door behind, when the light had struck something that had glinted of gold.

Yuugi gasped softly and nimbly ran around the littered floor, around to the whole part of the dais and got to his knees, throwing small stones away from whatever it was he was unearthing.

"Bakura-kun! Come here!"

The albino didn't hesitate for a second; rather he just dashed around, ignoring Isis' dismayed shout to them of being careful and clambered up so he was beside his friend. What Yuugi held in his hands made Ryou's pale, sky-blue eyes go wide.

It couldn't...

His hand was shaking, but so was Yuugi's.

The second his fingers closed around the smooth, cool metal of the Ring he felt a jerk somewhere deep inside. It felt as if something had snapped into place again. He wasn't whole, not yet, but this was a beginning.

Looking up into Yuugi's purple eyes he smiled, despite feeling a little wobbly, and got a smile in return that looked just about as watery as he felt.

The hand that was gripping the Puzzle was white around the knuckles and Ryou could only agree with that feeling.

Never letting go again.

Was it just his imagination, or was it becoming lighter in here? Yuugi looked bewildered around, barely suppressing his bubbling happiness at having at least this part of himself back.

"Yuugi-kun! Ryou-kun! Behind you!" Isis' voice was breathless and they could clearly see her in the strengthening light now, one hand clasped over her chest as she stared with incredulous wide eyes at something behind them, Malik looking just as in awe and surprised as his sister.

The two holders of one Sennen Item each got up and turned around, staring dumbstruck.

The door was opening.

That was where the light was coming from. Glancing at each other they nodded.

Whatever had helped them to do all this; clearing the entrance, somehow getting their Items back, and opening the door, it wasn't hard to understand that they were getting a helping hand, or maybe more like a shove, in the right direction.

"Going?" It wasn't really a question, both of them knew they would go, but asking it seemed the right thing to do.

Ryou grinned and nodded.

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

It seemed the Shadows were agreeing with them, the subtle flow of the magic curling around them, tugging them lightly in the direction of the door.

But not demanding, more like encouraging. A hand on his shoulder had Yuugi looking up and he smiled reassuringly at Malik.

"You have your decks, right?" The Egyptian asked curtly, not really a question.

Ryou and Yuugi nodded. They knew that hadn't been anything about their decks, it was easy to see in those lavender eyes. They may not be very close, and Malik had a little trouble with actually being friendly, but he tried. The question had simply been a cover for the real statement; stay safe.

"We will come back here every day to see if you've gotten back. I'll inform your grandfather, Yuugi-kun, and Ryou-kun..."

Ryou shook his head.

"My father isn't home, Isis-san, so you don't need to call him. But if you feel like it, leave a message on the answering machine." The white haired boy shrugged, looking down quickly.

_/Not that there's gonna be anyone who has seen it. I'll erase it when I get home./_

Isis embraced them both quickly, urging them to be careful and stepped back. They simply clasped hands with Malik, no words exchanged.

They didn't need to.

Then they turned around and faced the open doorway, bright light spilling through. This was it. Now they had a chance to fix this for the better.

Flashback

"Take care, Yuugi. We're counting on you!" Katsuya hugged him hard and grinned, stepping back and giving him thumbs up. Anzu was next, giving him a near bone-crushing hug.

"Be careful, Yuugi. You better get back alright!" Her large, intense blue eyes were sparkling from unshed tears. They hadn't lasted as a couple, but were still the best of friends.

"I'm going to hunt you down and hit you over the head if you don't!" She smiled through her gathering tears and Yuugi grinned and nodded, hugging her again.

"I will. If only to not get hit." he said laughingly, trying to cheer her up.

End flashback

Yuugi looked up at the pale boy beside him and both grinned at each other, nodding.

"Let's go."

Looking back once to wave at Isis and Malik they walked through the open doorway, the doors slowly scraping shut when they had disappeared, leaving the two young Egyptians with only their flashlights for light again.

But now the darkness in the tomb didn't seem too oppressive anymore, only expectant.

The two siblings stared at each other with a smile, and Malik reached out, laying an arm around her shoulders and grinning.

"Don't worry Isis, I'm sure the little Pharaoh and the fluffball can take care of it. Yuugi saved the world, and won over his other self, and Ryou did after all survive the crazy tomb robber possessed by that Zork."

Isis nodded and relaxed.

Yes, if there was any people to change the current situation, it was Yuugi and Ryou themselves. They were, after all, trying to find the other halves of their souls.

Nothing better for that than yourself.


	3. Clearing Night Sky

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Thanks for the nice rewievs! This is making me way more confident that my fics actually are readable! Thanks to;

SoulDreamer: Thank you. And I will, but Bakura is proving troublesome... but hopefully I will be able to get on with chapter four, since I have a lot of ideas in my head for this fic.

KNT: Thanks, and I'll do my best!

Seren147; Of course it isn't a one shot!

The Uncreative One; Glad you like the fic and plot, it's fun when you somehow manage to write something a little original at least, ne?

Stupid computer is fighting with me... bleh. Hopefully chapter four will get out soon. But as said... the meeting between Bakura and Ryou is proving difficult to get down. Ah, well, hopefully I'll squeeze it out soon, because I want to continue!

Chapter 3: Clearing Night Sky

Intense light blasted them right in the eyes, forcing them to shield the sensitive organs. When the light seemed to become a little less harsh, they lowered their hands and looked around, gaping as they found themselves in the middle of a town.

But it was clear no one had been here in a long time. Actually, the town showed signs of having been attacked, and there was a definite... creepy feeling in the air. Both boys brought up their arms to embrace themselves, trying to bring back some warmth into their bodies, even though the sun was shining harshly down on the ruins. The sunlight seemed cold here, sucking out all warmth. A soft wind started up, wailing between the collapsed houses and garbage littering the ground. And...

"Yuugi-kun... there's skeletons here." Ryou pointed at the bits and pieces of whitened human bones lying around, most of them centered in the main square of the little village.

"Let's leave. I don't like the atmosphere of this place." Yuugi said in a hushed voice and they walked away slowly, wanting to run, but their legs didn't seem to want to obey.

They didn't straighten themselves up and walk quicker before they were out of the ruins' proximity and were walking over loose sand again, instead of hardened dust. The warmth of the desert seemed to magically appear too, sending sweltering waves of sunlight and heat over them, the sand burning below their feet.

* * *

It was hard to say how long they had been walking, but it felt like forever when Yuugi finally looked up and spotted the dark shadow on the horizon, which quickly showed itself to be the silhouettes of houses. Another village, thankfully. They stumbled into the small settlement, gasping tiredly and shaking their heads, sending small droplets of sweat flying. 

None of the boys looked so good, with a thought to their fair skin, so they both looked a little like cooked lobsters. All of the people had frozen in their movements when Yuugi and Ryou walked into their little village, and now stood staring wide-eyed at the two strangers in their midst.

But one of the visitors looked strangely familiar, not that they had ever seen that person in the flesh, and now he was in front of them... what could have happened? A shudder suddenly went through the crowd while a collective gasp made it sound as if there had been a short gust of wind, and then there was a flurry of motion around the two boys. Bowls with water were pressed into their hands, and long pieces of cloth dumped over their heads and around their shoulders to shield them from the sun, then all the people dropped down onto the ground prostrating themselves. Yuugi blinked and stared confused, what... wait...

Glancing at Ryou confirmed it.

"They think you're Atemu, Yuugi-kun. Better not say anything contrary, or they might think you're an impostor or something!" Ryou hissed when it looked like Yuugi wanted to correct the villagers for their little faulty thinking.

Biting his lips Yuugi knew Ryou was right. But pretending to be his other half could be just as potentially dangerous. Ah, nothing for it now. Straightening under the cloth he was wearing he smiled at the people lying on the ground.

"Thank you. We were attacked by bandits, and lost our horses. Your help is greatly welcome."

Yuugi didn't really want to make them to part with anything, since they seemed to be poor enough, but other clothes would be really helpful. Neither he nor Ryou would stand out so much then.

"We had to make do with some gifts from another country, but we would be thankful if you had some clothes you could spare us and our companion." Yuugi was inwardly surprised at how easy the "we" came out when talking about himself. But he had been thinking of how Atemu would handle this, especially when he was Pharaoh, and this simply rolled off his tongue.

"Bu.. but great Pharaoh! What we could offer would hardly be worthy of your splendid self and your honored Priest. We couldn.." the man's horrified sputtering was interrupted when Yuugi smiled gently and raised a hand to calm him.

"Worry not. We know you will provide us after your best abilities. This will be enough."

Ryou was, simply put, amazed. And a look at Yuugi confirmed he too was quite stunned. The likeliness between Yuugi and Atemu was even clearer now that Yuugi was carrying himself differently, and the duel with Atemu had really driven that point home; Yuugi _was_ the King of Games, no doubt about it.

And this little stunt had made it almost fascinatingly clear how easy it could be for Yuugi to impersonate Atemu, at least to some extent. Yuugi looked over at Ryou from where he was changing from his own clothes into the ones provided by the villagers and grimaced.

"I don't like that way of talking Bakura-kun. It doesn't fit me. I..." Yuugi stopped and sighed, righting the cloak that now hung around his shoulders. Ryou snickered.

"You sound like Atemu on a really bad case of... homesickness? day. It's funny." Ryou grinned and put on the tan robe, pulling his hair out from under the cloth and let it fall onto his shoulders, then wrapping the piece of cloth they had given him to protect his head around his thick fluff of pale hair.

"Ha ha. Really funny, Bakura-kun." But he couldn't help but smile, because it _was_ kinda funny. Ryou smiled and shrugged.

"Anyway, Yuugi-kun, I think it'll be easier if you called me Ryou. Didn't you say my other half's name was Bakura here, too? Then it may possible be smart to not use it and invite trouble."

Yuugi smiled, slightly startled, and nodded.

"If you don't have anything against it, Ryou-kun, I'd be happy too." He said brightly and looked questioningly at Ryou, silently asking if he was ready. Ryou nodded, but Yuugi was now _really_ looking at what his pale haired friend was wearing...

He muffled the first few snickers in his hand, before full-blown laughter spilled out, high and bright, and probably the most happiest any of his friends had heard in a long time, if they'd been there to hear it. Ryou scowled at the Pharaoh's omote.

"What? You aren't looking exactly normal yourself." He said irritated, still scowling. If Yuugi was going to continue to make fun of him for the rest of their trip...

"Ah, no," a few stray giggles escaped before the spiky haired boy could contain them, "it's just that you're wearing almost what Bakura did in the Dreamworld."

Ryou blinked and looked down at himself, confused. Well, _he_ wouldn't know anything of what Bakura had been wearing, now could he? He hadn't been allowed to...

Breaking that train of thought he looked down again. Simple loincloth wrapped around his waist and kept into place by a sash, a thin, sandy-colored coat also held into place by the sash and then an outer coat which flared around his legs, tan in color. Simple but quite nice.

"He was wearing something like this?"

Yuugi nodded with a grin.

"Yup. Just that his outer coat was red and had white markings on... and he wore a lot more gold." Yuugi said with a snicker and Ryou chuckled too. That would fit Bakura all right.

* * *

Next day dawned bright and sunny, waves of heat already dancing in the air, making it look like they were underwater. The red cloak Yuugi was wearing swirled around his legs, head protected by simply having thrown a part of the cloak over his head, like a makeshift hood. The loincloth and cloak, and not much else, made it easier to bear the warmth. 

Nonsensically, Yuugi remembered Kaiba-kun's incarnation here, and wondered how he could stand the heat, wearing so much cloth... and Mahaado too...

Shaking his head he smiled at the man leading the horse they were borrowing (most likely forever and that didn't really sit well with any of the two young men, with a thought to that horses weren't exactly cheap in this day and age) to get to the capital. When they carefully had questioned why the villagers had believed Ryou to be a priest, they had said it was very noticeable; the white haired youth was wearing a Sennen Item after all.

It really wasn't smart to travel in the day, but it was just half a day's ride to the capital from this village, and they wanted to get there as quickly as possible, so they could scout out the lay of the land so to speak, and decide their next course of action. They didn't know how Atemu would react to find them here... would he even remember them?

Yuugi gave wide berth to that thought, avoiding it as much as he could and concentrated on another problem instead; where would they find Bakura?

As a thief he would hardly be easy to find, otherwise he would be caught easily. And he had termed himself "touzokuoh", so they couldn't disregard the possibility that there could be _some_ truth to that overblown title.

* * *

The day before: 

Dawn had hardly broken when the Pharaoh of all of Khemet rose from his slumber and donned his usual clothing, the Puzzle the last thing to be hung around his neck. There was a lot of things to be done, and time was unfortunately always short.

He was lucky to have such a competent group of advisors and priests. The sound of cloth-clad feet on stone suddenly echoed in the hallway, and Atemu didn't even have the chance to turn around before the tan and brown whirlwind was past him, cheerfully shouting to him as it whirled down the corridor.

"Good morning, Pharaoh-sama!" Mana's bright voice was soon overlapped by another, deeper voice, accompanied by much heavier footfalls and the body of Mahaado angrily striding down the corridor.

"MANA! Come back here! You have lessons to start! Good morning, Pharaoh-sama." Mahaado stopped briefly to bow before his ruler, then continued. Atemu cast an amused glance after the two and mentally counted down to when...

"MA-NA!" the angry roar could be heard easily as well as some far-off giggling and then Mahaado was off in earnest after his errant pupil. The young Pharaoh shook his head and sighed. /_Not a calm moment in this place./_ he thought with a smile and strode into the audience chamber, ready for the day to begin.

* * *

Lunch and the afternoon rest were just rolling lazily past. No one ever tried to do anything around the hottest hours of the day, as it just didn't pay off. Atemu walked idly down a corridor to the council chamber for his daily meeting with his priests. Just as the large, heavily decorated doors were opened for him, he felt a strange flutter in his chest. 

Frowning, he absently rubbed the golden plate covering his upper body. Strange... he'd felt that flutter earlier today, but then it had been more of a jerk, and a silent click, as if something had snapped into place. And he couldn't throw off the feeling that he was _more_ than he had been before, that something he'd been missing was back again. But that feeling was distant, and he wasn't sure he really was feeling it...

Suddenly his ruby-violet eyes widened and he grabbed at the cord usually hanging around his neck, holding the Puzzle in place. What the...

Looking down wildly, he saw something he'd probably never thought he'd see.

The Puzzle was literally fading away slowly, right in front of his disbelieving eyes. Trying to grab the Item made no difference; it was as if it wasn't there anymore. Looking up at a surprised shout from Mahaado, the priest was apparently in a predicament like his own. And they were the only ones. No one could do anything; they were forced to watch helplessly as the Ring and Puzzle slowly faded away, bottoms first and the cord holding the Items last. The silence as the last glow had disappeared was absolute. Atemu's eyes narrowed angrily.

"The Tomb Robber. I don't know how he did it, but he did it. That goddamn THIEF is responsible for this!"

* * *

At the same time, down in the illustrious capital city below the palace of the Pharaoh's country, a silvery haired man sneezed violently, and had to give up on a target he had been shadowing for a while just because of that. 

"Dammit. And I was so close." He muttered sullenly, then shrugged and weaved through the crowd, his various gold ornaments clinking silently.

Today had been a strange day, and it was probably best to get back home before anymore strangeness made him trip up worse than he already had. It had started somewhere earlier in the midday, before the sun had been at its' highest point. That feeling was still curling in his chest, warm and comfortable, as if the sun was warming him from inside out. What was disturbing was that it was faintly familiar, and he couldn't put his finger on why it was so.

And it hadn't receded as the day advanced either, only stayed just as faint, gaining a momentarily strength shortly after it had appeared, but after that it had kept itself at the same level. And he didn't like things that he couldn't explain. Something was going on, and he better find out soon, or he would not be happy.

* * *

The present: 

The walls of the capital city of Khemet rose in the distance, Ryou and Yuugi both happy to be here. While it was cool to be somewhere as interesting as ancient Egypt, the view of sand, sand and yet more sand wasn't very stimulating.

They weren't sure what they would do when they finally came to the city, but something would hopefully reveal itself. Poor planning, but what could you do?

Ryou smiled happily, the distant bond with Bakura, or Ba-khu-ra, as the villagers had called him, was growing stronger, so the tomb robber was probably in the city or at least in the vicinity of it. While he was scared things would be as they had been before they had been separated, it was still comforting to have that familiar tugging inside his chest, and that slight _presence_ that meant Bakura was connected with him again.

Which was actually a little strange, now that he thought about it. Both Atemu and Bakura were free spirits now, enjoying afterlife peacefully, so why would they still be connected with the Items? More help from their mysterious benefactors?

Or was it simply so that the two spirits still were connected with their Items, and their lighter halves, and as such the connection easily slipped into place with just the smallest of urging?

And he was beginning to feel guilty. They were here, about to rip their other halves from well-deserved (questionable in Bakura's case) peace and quiet (relatively at least), and bring them back into life again, and possible new adventures (but hopefully not). Did they really have the right to do that? Was it really their place...

"Ryou-kun."

The blue-eyed boy looked up sharply at the hand on his shoulder and soft voice of Yuugi calling him.

"We can't think that we don't have any right. They are the other half of our souls, and at the very least we should be allowed to stay with them, if they won't, or can't, go back with us. I... I will be sad if we have to leave our friends and family behind... but I know I won't really be able to live without the other me. And I know you feel like that too, Ryou-kun. If _any_one has right to do this, it's us."

Ryou met Yuugi's tremulous smile with one of his own; apparently he wasn't the only one having second thoughts and guilt plaguing him. He didn't want to say it was good he wasn't alone in his doubts, but at least they both cared enough about their other halves (themselves?) to want them to have peace.

* * *

They were right up at the gates now, anxiousness churning inside them, but Yuugi straightened and looked forward with a confidence he didn't feel he had. If they could get past without him being taken for the Pharaoh, it was fine, but if they didn't... 

"Hoy, there!... Pharaoh-sama? What are you doing out without an escort?" the guard's face changed quickly from stern and interrogative, to concerned and flustered.

"Ah, we took a ride early this morning, to inspect a village close by, and as we didn't want to overwhelm the villagers, we did not take an escort with us." Yuugi looked sternly down at the guard, hoping he would let them go without any further trouble.

"Pharaoh-sama! That was highly--"

"Are you questioning your Pharaoh!?" Yuugi barked out, his nervousness at impersonating his other half and irritation at the guard making the order slip out easily and with unusual force. Wincing, the young man was certain he had blown it, but the guards at the gate quickly bowed.

"Of course not, Pharaoh-sama. Let us assemble an escort up to the palace."

While Yuugi would have loved to deny the guards this, he knew he couldn't and at the same time remain inconspicuous. So he nodded and smiled, and both young men pretended to wait patiently for the guards to round up their horses and arrange themselves around Yuugi and Ryou's borrowed horse.

* * *

The ride up to the palace went quickly, too quickly in Yuugi and Ryou's opinion. The guards that had escorted them bowed in their saddles and turned around, riding back to the gate. 

The guards stationed at the entrance of the palace and around the courtyard looked suspiciously at them as they dismounted, but didn't say anything yet. Then Yuugi gasped as he felt the bond snap into place almost violently and a familiar voice floated across the courtyard to the two boys there.

"... really, I see no need for such drastic action, Seth. While they certainly are troublesome..." Atemu trailed off as that strange feeling he'd had since yesterday suddenly flared up, took hold of him and shook him like a leaf in the wind before letting him down again, foreign thoughts and feelings fluttering like delicate butterflies at the edge of his consciousness. So familiar... but...

His High Priest's drawn breath had him look up and meet the most intriguing pair of eyes he'd ever seen, (so familiar and yet alien) and...

Ruby-violet eyes widened in outrage and surprise.

"The Puzzle! Guards!" he shouted, and the two boys, particularly the one who looked like him, jerked as if they'd been hit by arrows and turned around and ran, quickly disappearing into the throng of officials and visiting ambassadors that always were milling outside the palace.

"AFTER THEM!" Atemu bellowed, he would NOT let them get away, especially not his look-a-like (why so familiar? Something tickling the furthest reaches of his thoughts...)...

"Pharaoh-sama? The other one, the one with white hair, he had the Ring. Seems the Tomb Robber wasn't involved in this one." Seth murmured, looking down at the irate ruler. Atemu's eyes narrowed and his lips settled in a thin line.

"Give me a goddamn horse! I'm going into the city!"

The stable hands almost tripped over themselves in their hurry to obey their angry Pharaoh, and the young man more or less ripped the reins of the horse they brought him out of the poor slave's hands and vaulted into the saddle, hands and muscles twitching in their want to spur the horse into gallop, but Atemu kept himself, barely, and trotted down into the city.

His guards had better catch those two...


	4. Scattered Moonlight

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! But since no one's stopping me from having fun with the characters... I'll put them back when I'm finished, I promise.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed and for your nice words! It makes me all happy and fuzzy inside! Particularly since it helped me get past the little bit with Ryou and Bakura!

YamiShadowcat22; Thank you, and yeah, hop this is soon enough... I'm really on a roll with this fic. .

Chibi B-channie; Thanks. /blush/ I'm happy there's people that likes this. I'm just hoping I can get the other chapters out just as quickly.

Chika of the high Mts; Here you are, an update!

Inuyasha0001: Aww... it'll get better, I promise... But not before it gets worse! Ehehhe... but don't worry, none of my stores ever end in a bad way.

Seren147; I noticed that too. Especially with the third chapter... I wanted it to be updated fast, but man... I had to wait... ;;; Oh, and they will reunite soon... maybe just not in the way you thought. X3

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel; Heh, heh... update here. And what Atemu will do to them? You'll just have to see in this chapter...

Duenna; Thankies! . Yup, I wanted to get to their meeting too, but that was the one I had trouble with, but it's all fixed now!

SoulDreamer: Ah, maybe not hard to picture no, but I had trouble with where Bakura would be hiding out... and how his place would look. But I got over it. Thanks!

Silvershadowfire; Probably not, but poor Atemu has lost his Puzzle and don't have any memories of their adventures, so... And yeah, I don't really know either... I guess I chose 'silently' because he's moving so he won't give off much sound and there's a lot of noise around...

Daimeryan Rei; No, Atemu doesn't remember much, all for the plot you know? I like my stories to have some filling and there wouldn't have been much (at least not the way I planned the fic) if the memories would still be intact. But all in due time... Of course you're right, they don't speak Japanese, but ancient Egyptian... thing was, my sis has one of the Jap. Books from the AE arc, and I had just gotten it into my head that they said 'sama' after 'Pharaoh'. Then I saw they didn't and I just was too lazy (yes, I admit it!) to change it, and besides, I thought it sounded good. So we'll all just have to grin and bear my little mistakes.

_/thoughts/_

* * *

Chapter 4: Scattered Moonlight 

Angry shouts pierced the air, mingling with the general din of the streets and market squares as the two boys were hurtling through the city to avoid the guards and find somewhere to hide. It seemed impossible though. While the city had been easily negotiable on horse and surrounded by an escort of guards, it wasn't nearly as tourist-friendly on foot. And with all the people and winding streets, they were lost within minutes of descending into this confusing maze. Stopping briefly in a corner of a large market square to get some breath back, Yuugi and Ryou gasped in mouthfuls of air, resting their hands on their knees and leaning over slightly.

"This... sucks..." Ryou gasped and shook his head, sending long strands of pale hair every-which way.

"... I... know..." Yuugi agreed, just as out of breath as Ryou. Leaning against the wall he was standing next to Yuugi closed his eyes, one hand around the Puzzle.

He could feel his other half's presence so close, his thoughts dancing at the edges of his own, but he didn't dare to peek in. Atemu apparently didn't remember him, so it would be wrong of him to try and establish that contact before his other at least remembered a little more...

Opening his eyes he looked around, surprisingly enough not seeing Ryou.

"Ryou-kun...?" he could have sworn he saw a flash of white off to his left, but right then a couple of guards appeared, closing him in in the corner.

"The Pharaoh would like to meet you, so if you could remain here." it was very clearly not a question. Yuugi looked nervously around and then down at his feet. This was quickly going to hell. At least Ryou got away...

"Finally. At least you can do something right." That familiar voice had Yuugi's heart skipping a beat and he hesitantly looked up, right into the narrowed ruby-violet eyes and dark face of his other.

* * *

Ryou was tired of running around like this. While he wasn't in that bad a shape, it certainly wasn't stellar and he couldn't take much more of the running around they had done before collapsing. They finally stopped, if just for a short break so they could take in some air. While Yuugi slumped against the wall behind him, Ryou decided he would just crouch on the ground and hope he'd gotten enough wind back in a few seconds so he could continue until they hopefully found somewhere to hide. But he didn't get any chance to rest. A hand closed vice-like on his shoulder, and at the same time the mental bond crashed into place heavily, all as a familiar, low voice hissed in his ear. 

"What the fuck are you doing? The Pharaoh is a godsbedamned bad influence, and I won't let you be tainted by the likes of HIM! C'mere."

Ryou, way too exhausted and too overwhelmed to protest, simply stumbled along as Bakura kept his steel grip on Ryou, just changing it to clasp around his wrist, and dragged him away from Yuugi. The albino thought he saw some guards close in on Yuugi before he lost sight of him in the crowds and hoped his friend would be able to talk to Atemu and not get in trouble.

As for himself? Well, that was another question. Who knew what Bakura wanted? Atemu had obviously not remembered them, so it was unlikely Bakura would either. But why would he grab him and drag him away, then? Maybe he _thought_ he knew Ryou? That would explain the commandeering, and grabbing. Ryou sighed, looked at Bakura out of the corner of his eyes, and realized Yuugi had been right, he _was_ clothed more or less the same as his other half, and resigned himself to be dragged to where-ever Bakura wanted to go. At least now he didn't have literal control over Ryou's body. Not that that was much of a consolation.

* * *

Shifting nervously on the chair he was sitting didn't alleviate any tension, or make the chair any softer. One hand around the Puzzle so tight, the other people in the room wondered if the fingers were going to get cramped up like that, Yuugi looked around nervously. It felt marginally cooler in here than outside, but only just, and having all of these people (some of which he recognized from their adventure in the Dreamworld) staring at him didn't make things better. Someone clearing their throat made Yuugi turn his head back to the front of the room, fixing his gaze on the person standing demandingly in before him, arms crossed over their chest and a light frown marring the handsome face. 

"Now, care to tell us how you came in position of the Puzzle? You have control over the Shadows, which you shouldn't be able to have. And _how_ did you come in possession of such strange tablets, with so many Shadow Powers?" While Atemu's voice brooked no argument, he wanted answers, and _would_ have them, it was surprisingly gentle and polite.

The dark-skinned and taller version of Yuugi held up his Duel deck in one hand and Yuugi had to restrain himself not to grab at it. They had searched him and found his deck, and since only people with Sennen Items, or with their own Shadow Power (or Soul Monster, depending on your vocabulary), could control Duel Monsters, it was highly strange that he would have so many. Swallowing heavily, Yuugi decided to give the most of the truth.

"I... eh. We didn't know the Items would disappear from you when we appeared here." At the incredulous and uncomprehending looks he got, Yuugi shook his head and shrugged. This would be hard to explain.

"My friend and I aren't from here... actually; we needed magical assistance to get here. We're... looking for something we really can't be without. Before we got here, we got back our Items, the Puzzle and the Ring, but I don't know why they would disappear from you."

As a matter of fact, he did have a theory, but he wasn't about to disclose it to his other half and his priests. Since this was some kind of afterlife/past (or whatever, it made Yuugi's head spin to think about it), the Items here would be shadows or replicas of the real ones back in the real world. So when Ryou and he had appeared here, the "shadows" of the Ring and Puzzle had joined with the real ones. Or something.

Atemu glanced at Shada and then looked back at Yuugi.

"Would you allow my Priest to have a quick look into your mind? That will be the fastest way to assure that you aren't lying."

Yuugi twitched and was about to say no when he looked up into Atemu's eyes and saw that he was apologetic. This _was_ the fastest way of course, but the last time Shadi had been in his mind hadn't ended up good. Not that he remembered much of it, even now.

With a sigh he collapsed further into the chair and nodded. He knew how to keep the more important things away from Shada, so the man would only see that Yuugi was sincere in what he was claiming. The tattooed man stepped forward, Sennen Ankh held up before him and he nodded to Yuugi, feeling slightly guilty at having to subject such an innocent and sweet-looking boy to what he was about to do. Silent seconds ticked by, everybody looking intently at Shada and the boy so strangely reminiscent of their Pharaoh. With a gasp Yuugi suddenly jerked back in the chair and Shada brought a hand up to cradle his head, taking a step back.

"Shada? What happened!?" Atemu frowned concerned, but was surprised to notice his concern was as much for his priest as for the strange/familiar boy.

"Nothing, my Pharaoh. It was simply a little overwhelming." Shada straightened up again and smiled sympathetically at Yuugi, who was now hugging himself.

"Wondrous really. So much light and pureness, hardly tainted by any darkness. He did not mean any harm in coming here, only wanting to find that which would make him whole... it was ripped away and now he is slowly falling apart without it." Shada shook his head, dispelling the far-away and unfocused gaze in his eyes and bowed to Atemu before stepping back.

Yuugi was dismayed at how much Shada had found out, but the careful, wisp-thin tendrils of power searching through his mind had been so much like the last time, but more subtle, so he'd lost a little control. But maybe it had been for the best...

A heavy, but gentle hand on his shoulder had him looking up into his other's eyes, and it was so much like all the times before, warm, comforting, reassuring, that he almost launched himself at Atemu to hug him. But then he remembered where he was, and what had happened, and grimaced, the hand not clutching the Puzzle twitching in reaction.

"What are you looking for?" The deep voice of his other half flowed over and through him and he couldn't help but smile and answer.

"The other half of my soul."

* * *

Rocks rose around them, the quickly cooling wind of the desert howling around them as they left the city behind. Ryou was nearing exhaustedness (and yes, he knew that wasn't really a word) on the scale of being tired. It wasn't easy to climb the rocky hills near the capital, and he had been running a lot before then. 

"Wh.. when will we get there... where-ever we are going?" Ryou asked after a while, frustrated at not knowing where he was going.

"Save your breath, you won't tire so easily then. And we're soon there." Bakura said shortly, not even looking back over his shoulder at Ryou. /_Well, that told me a lot. Not./_ Ryou grimaced at Bakura's back and sighed, falling silent and concentrated on walking once more.

The path they were on veered sharply to the left, around an outcropping of rock, and then they were standing on a small plateau, surrounded by rock on three sides and falling sharply down to the desert on the fourth. Looking around, Ryou wondered why they were here, since there seemed to be no where to go. Had Bakura taken a wrong turn somewhere? The small strip of slightly more down-trodden dust and rock hadn't been easy to follow after all; you had to know where you were going. But their apparent non-location didn't seem to bother Bakura; he simply walked up to one of the sheer cliff walls, still with a grip on Ryou's wrist, and disappeared into the rock. Blue eyes widened, but Ryou didn't have time for any other reactions as he rounded the small outcropping Bakura had walked behind and found himself in a narrow tunnel.

"Oh..." he muttered weakly and shook his head. The day's events were catching up with him. Seeing Atemu, being chased down into the city, being "kidnapped" and meeting his other half and now this... to much at one time. But he'd learnt long ago to take things in stride and deal with them when he had time, so he just squared his shoulders and walked after the dark skinned tomb robber, hoping there would be somewhere to sit down soon.

The corridor never widened, but they finally stopped in front of what looked like a tall, but thin door made out of rock. Ryou didn't see what the man did to open the door, but the loud sound of rock scraping against rock suddenly rumbled through the slightly dank air. Bakura stepped through and to the side, clearly waiting for Ryou to follow. With a mental shrug, he'd come this far after all, he stepped inside.

* * *

There was another narrow corridor behind the door, but Ryou now suspected they were here only for protection against invaders. Not many steps later he was standing in a fairly large room, late afternoon light spilling in from high above. Looking up confirmed his suspicion, there were small air-vents in the rock here, letting fresh air and a little light in. The tunnel outside had been dank simply because there had been no air coming in directly. A hand on his shoulder made him jump, but Bakura only smiled slightly as Ryou's wide eyes met his own, narrowed sliver ones. 

"Come on. Let's find you somewhere to rest."

Stunned (because when was the last time he'd seen Bakura smile, really smile? He couldn't remember... probably never.), Ryou followed his other and frowned slightly. That smile... it had been gentle (at least by Bakura-standards) but behind the hard outer wall protecting his emotions, there had been sadness, and some strange joy... and anger, so much anger. Since he knew what to look for, he'd seen some of it in those shadowed eyes, but most of it had come trickling down from their link, without him trying. What could make Bakura loose even the slightest of control on his feelings, even in the privacy of his mind?

Deciding to try to figure out the answer later, he concentrated on their surroundings instead. They passed a few rooms, some with doors and some not, a large kitchen, some empty rooms... it started to blur after a while, but thankfully Bakura stopped in front of one door and pushed it open. This room was clearly lived in with draperies hanging on the walls, furniture standing around and a bed in the middle. The little piles of various trinkets, coins, and other valuables made it clear this was Bakura's room.

"R-really... I couldn't take your room, Bakura... I'll sleep somewhere else... Ryou muttered, and looked down nervously when his other started to gently push him towards the bed. The tall, muscular thief frowned and shook his head.

"I want you where I can see you. This is the easiest."

_/I want you where I can easily confirm you aren't an hallucination./_ He may not have said it out loud, but to Ryou it was clear as day. He _had_ become good in reading his other after all. A necessity one might say. With a nod, Ryou collapsed down on the bed, shedding the two coats slowly due to clumsiness born of exhaustion. Almost asleep, a thought hit Ryou and he looked up, stopping Bakura by grabbing the hem of his robe.

"Bakura... why?" He wasn't sure he had been coherent enough for the thief to understand him, but the wild haired man cocked his head and shrugged minutely.

"I knew I couldn't have been the only one surviving the massacre... but I never saw anyone else... damn that Pharaoh!" He hissed, and the fierce expression and growl was a little more frightening on this version of Bakura than it had been when his other had shared a body with him. So Bakura thought he was a relative or something like that... well, he wasn't likely to be killed then, at least...

"But no matter, sleep." The soft whisper and gentle brush of fingers over his scalp quickly eased Ryou into sleep, and strangely enough, he felt safe. He knew his other wouldn't let anything hurt him. Of course, he hadn't let anyone hurt him before either (no one but Bakura was allowed to hurt his "host"), but this time it wasn't because he couldn't survive without Ryou, but because Bakura thought he was worth protecting for himself. And that made it more than easy to succumb to the soothing darkness waiting to embrace him.

* * *

Yuugi was tired; actually, he was beyond tired. But he was also hyper, so he couldn't make himself to got to sleep just yet. He'd followed Atemu around the rest of the day, happy that his other half had insisted Yuugi stay with him and not be left over in the care of some guards as Seth had suggested. Leaning his elbows against the parapet and his chin in his hands he looked up at the brilliant night sky, feeling some strange sort of happiness bubble up at the magnificent sight. Some thought that the sky, and especially the night sky, was depressing. Particularly so when you felt down, had lost something or was feeling sad. But even all the months after he'd lost his other half; he's never felt down when looking at the sky. Instead, he'd felt hope, and longing. The night sky in the Dreamworld had been beautiful, the stars intense and clear, and he never could make himself angry at the sky for being indifferent. It was all-encompassing, and that meant, that somewhere, under the same sky, was his other. That had given him hope. 

"Yuugi. Why are you standing here?"

Turning his head to look at his other he smiled and shrugged, a light wind playing with the spikes of their hair and making their respective capes swirl around them.

"I'm so wound up I can't sleep. Besides, the sky is beautiful. It looks like a sea of stars, doesn't it?" Resting his chin on his hands again he looked up.

"An endless sea that will always lead you home." He said silently, hoping it was true for him and Ryou too. A hand on his shoulder and he felt, rather than saw, Atemu nod.

"I have not thought about it, but it is an apt description. But come now, you are tired and need to sleep. There is a day tomorrow too."

Yuugi nodded and let his other lead him back into the room behind them. And hopefully, tomorrow would bring new light on this mad adventure.

* * *

Endu for this chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it! I had fun at least! 


	5. Star Light, Star Bright

Disclaimer: Don't own this lovely series or any of its characters.

To all of you who reviewed; I LOVE YOU! I'm so happy you like it. And now there will be more fun. Chappie six will be finished soon too... I'm just having a little trouble whether I should end where I am now or continue the chapter a little longer. We'll see.

Zephyr-Sombra; Thank you. And here's the next update. Hop you like it!

Seren147; Heheh. Yah, he's treating Ryou nice, and no, they won't go anymore than brotherly love in this one... I had a friend that wanted me to do theifshipping in the possible sequel that's why there's no lovey-dovey tendershipping...

The Uncreative one; /beam/ Thank you! Don't worry, of course the yamis will remember them! It just may not go as smoothly as one could have wished... /grin/

Chibi B-channie; Here you are next chapter. And yes! More Bakura/Ryou fluffiness! Aren't they just so cute?

MotherCHOWGoddess; Thank you! I'm happy you think I'm doing a good job, and as for pocket universes... I didn't even think of that one, but I guess it's and apt name for it, since I don't think 'afterlife' would really look as I have described it... but that was what the 'afterlife/past' was for. Yes, isn't Fruits Basket just a great series! /grin/

Chika of the high Mts; Another update! Hope you like it!

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel; Thank you. /grin/ And yes, they will definitely spend more time together! Can't leave them in the cold so to speak, right?

Hales731; Thank you! /happy/ But really... I'm no better than anyone else. I want them together too. I just want some filling in my stories.. /grin/ That's why you don't see Atemu or Bakura remembering anything yet, or there being any implied bunny-sex. /snicker/

* * *

Chapter 5: Star Light, Star Bright

Night had descended on the desert many hours ago, Ba-khu-ra hadn't moved from his seat on the edge of the bed, looking down on the young man sleeping there. While the pale skin was strange, he was quite sure the boy was a relative, and somehow had avoided the massacre.

Looking at that soft, delicate face filled him with anger. How could anyone have thought that a human sacrifice, and even more so a whole village of people that hadn't the chance to defend themselves, used as such, could be acceptable just to gain some Items that might help against an invasion?

His mind was filled with memories of that day... slaughter, blood, metal glinting in the sun, the screams of the villagers ringing through the air, still echoing in his brain... he was so engrossed in his thoughts he almost missed the slight whimper from the lump on the bed. The unconscious growl that had escaped him quieted as he looked down at the boy in his bed and automatically one of his hands were raised and petted the thick fluff of hair. The youth quieted almost immediately and Ba-khu-ra felt a smile curve his lips upwards, it didn't matter how he tried to stifle it, it just didn't want to die. He'd protect this one, whatever it took. The boy was _HIS_ and Ba-khu-ra took care of what was his.

He wondered vaguely at the strange way the boy had pronounced his name, but since it sounded almost as it should, he guessed it didn't matter. And how had the boy known his name? But that wasn't suspicious really... a lot of people knew his name. With a wolfish grin Ba-khu-ra shook his head and looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling. Deciding he could go out and look for tombs to raid some other night, he was very well of right now anyway, he carefully, as to not disturb the sleeping boy, laid down behind him in the bed. And that confused him too, why was he taking such great care with the youth? But the answer was easily found, and he didn't bother with denying it; because even if it turned out the boy wasn't really a lost relative, he felt a connection with him, the same strange feeling he had had since two days lurking in the back of his mind, a comforting presence. Simply put, because he was worth it.

* * *

Patience was a virtue, and Yuugi knew it. But it was hard to be patient, to not simply open the link between him and Atemu fully and give his other his own memories of their time together. But that wouldn't be the same as Atemu remembering it, or be the right thing to do either. And even if he hadn't really expected _this_ he would have to accept it as it was and hope his other half's memories would return. With a grimace he realized this was almost a mirror of how things had been before the Dreamworld... finding the forgotten memories of his other. Except this time it wasn't his past that was missing, but his future.

Staring into the water of the pool he frowned, absently tracing the Puzzle that once again hung from his neck. He was relieved he had been allowed to keep it, but wondered how much it had cost his other half to actually leave it with a stranger (but not really), when it was so close.

He crouched down and stretched out a hand, poking one of the water lilies that floated on the pool's surface serenely, almost submerging the flower before letting it go, the pale pink flower effortlessly bobbing up to the surface again. This had all become so complicated... but when wasn't it, when one of his circle of friends (but mostly himself) was involved in something? The days had slowly trickled past, fleeting into a seamless whole, and he hadn't seen Ryou at all this past week, which worried him. Of course, he hadn't been allowed to leave the palace grounds on his own, and even then it had been hard to get Atemu to agree. He simply had to hope Ryou was with Bakura, and that nothing had happened. Someone sat down beside him, and the warm presence was both welcome and frustrating.

"Something is worrying you."

Yuugi nodded and looked out over the large pond, sunlight making the surface glitter as if covered in diamonds and crystals.

"Yeah... my friend. I haven't seen him since he disappeared..."

"I could have some guards out looking for him." Atemu said, hoping to alleviate some of the tension so apparent in his guest. Multihued spikes shuddered as Yuugi shook his head, turning to smile lopsidedly at the young Pharaoh.

"No, my-ah, Atemu. It's all right. I've a feeling he's where he should be, and your guards wouldn't be able to find him anyway. I'm just worrying. But thank you." Yuugi made a mental grimace at himself. He couldn't call Atemu "his other" since the Pharaoh didn't remember, so even if he'd given Yuugi permission to use his name, he had a hard time to adjust. Atemu was polite and pretended not to notice the almost-slips he made quite often.

"As you wish, Yuugi," Atemu smiled warmly at him then winked mischievously. "What do you say to a ride, without any guards?"

Yuugi's laugh rang out bright at that suggestion and he nodded happily, making something inside the dark-skinned man melt into warm, buttery sunlight. A place that had been empty, even if he hadn't realized it, before Yuugi had appeared. He wasn't questioning it, just taking things as they came. He was quite sure everything would clear with time.

* * *

Ryou was going insane with boredom. Bakura wouldn't let him out on his own, even if it didn't take long to get to the capital, and there was nothing to do in the immediate surroundings outside. So Ryou had been subjected to having to stay inside the complex of caves where the thief had made his home. Not that he couldn't explore, he'd already found four different exits to the desert and further into the rocky hills, but exploring could only take you so far.

"Argh!" He threw himself down on Bakura's bed with a frustrated cry and glared up at the ceiling, as if it was somehow to blame or could help him in any way and was withholding said help.

They were still sleeping in the same bed, but that was because none of the other rooms had any furniture worth a damn, and frankly, they both seemed to appreciate the closeness. That and it became quite cold in the caves at night and any shared body heat was good. Ryou liked this version of Bakura, he was caring (even if he pretended not to be), if a little overbearing, attentive in his own way (which meant he would listen to Ryou rant and rave, politely of course, about his frustration at being cooped up in the caves and then still deny Ryou to go anywhere on his own), and well, he seemed to simply give a damn. Which was much more than he'd gotten in a long time from his father. In some ways, Bakura was beginning to feel like an older brother, and that knowledge, while being slightly embarrassing (this was himself after all) was also strangely satisfying. One thing he could do without on the other hand, was Bakura's possessiveness. He hadn't had much time to being exposed to it, but what little he had seen of it promised there was _much_ more waiting in the wings.

Heavy footsteps slapping on stone made Ryou aware of the fact that Bakura was home again and he sat up, crossing his legs. Soon enough the tall thief came into their room and carelessly unloaded what he had gotten today on a low table in the room. Ignoring these items (he'd noticed he could accept the thought of Bakura stealing, but it was increasingly hard to not say anything if he looked when Bakura threw down whatever he had stolen somewhere, so he didn't look) he looked over Bakura instead, knowing there would be no injuries, but not being able to stop himself.

The dark man fidgeted before throwing himself into a chair, looking pointedly at one of the wall hangings. Ryou fought the smile that wanted to break out; for all that Bakura was taking care of him, he seemed to have a hard time accepting someone doing the same for him, for giving a damn at all. That made Ryou cock his head, why was he living all alone for that matter? He'd heard some of his other's story, very fractured, from Yuugi and the others when they had gotten back, but he didn't have a clear picture. Besides that, he remembered that unsettling dream he'd had the first night here with Bakura. He couldn't remember much since they hadn't been very coherent, but he remembered bits and pieces very vividly. Screams, blood flowing down spears and swords, flashes of tortured faces...

"Bakura?"

His other grunted noncommittally but turned his head to look and Ryou.

"What... what happened?" Once again he hadn't been able to be very coherent, but Bakura seemed to understand. His silvery eyes, pale violet where the hair shadowed them, widened and his jaw tensed.

The silence stretched and Ryou was beginning to think that Bakura wouldn't tell him, when there was an almost imperceptible sigh from the man.

"There was a war, and apparently the Pharaoh's troops were loosing. They saw no other possibility but to create something powerful, something that would give them an edge over their enemy, allowing for victory." Here Bakura paused and gestured to the Ring hanging from its cord around Ryou's neck.

"That something was the Sennen Items." Again he paused, head bowed low, but Ryou could hear the tension, the violent anger vibrating just under the surface. And below that, the incomprehension of a child, the hurt and pain only a child can feel at having their whole world ripped away, at having to _watch that world being literally chopped into pieces_. Bakura's large, rough hands were shaking slightly, so he tried to hide it by clenching them into fists.

"The Pharaoh's men killed them all. Killers! Murderers!" Bakura was hissing like an angry feline, face twisted into a furious sneer. But yet again, below the anger was that pain. Ryou felt the muscles of one of his hands twitch. He wanted to go over there and hug him. But not yet. Bakura wasn't finished.

"As far as I know, I was the only one that survived. No one else... They were all..." The deep voice hitched at the end and Ryou was off the bed in an instant, hugging Bakura to himself, arms around Bakura's shoulders and head, hiding that wild mop of silvery hair against his stomach. The tomb robber froze when Ryou first hugged him, but he didn't push the slender boy away, or scream, or threaten bloody murder. Instead he didn't move, stone still and silent as a statue. Seconds ticked by until a shudder went through Ryou's other half and he hugged back, pressing himself as much as he could into the warm body in front of him.

"Sshh. I'm here. And I won't leave." And he wouldn't. Whatever happened, this only strengthened his first thought when he'd gotten back the Ring; _/Never letting go again./_

* * *

Two horses trotted back towards the palace through the city, this time surrounded by a group of guards. While Atemu treasured his time alone, or any time he managed to sneak off alone, and now together with Yuugi, he wasn't stupid. There had been two attempts on his life in the last four days, so now guards were following him practically everywhere. Karimu had, slightly unthinkingly, commented that it was good Yuugi was with him; they looked so alike the assassin could mistake Yuugi for the Pharaoh, especially since the slightly shorter boy was wearing the Puzzle, and hit him instead. Atemu had understandably been angry. Even if he didn't feel this strange connection with this boy, he would have been angry at the suggestion anyone take a hit that was meant for him, and particularly someone innocent. Just because Yuugi looked like him was no reason for using him as a decoy.

"Any leads as to who has sent the assassin, or where he's hiding?" Atemu had hardly jumped off his horse before questioning Mahaado who was waiting for them in the courtyard. The Priest shook his head.

"Regrettably not. We have several candidates as to who could have sent the assassin, but nothing definite, and no one suspected of being the assassin has been apprehended either."

The Pharaoh frowned and glanced up at Yuugi, who was still sitting on his own horse, and smiled down at Atemu reassuringly.

"I'm sure you'll find the responsible in time, Atemu. It will be alright." Yuugi said brightly, hiding his worry.

They had broken their daily ride short due to an oncoming storm gathering on the horizon. Atemu had been happy for the promise of rain, but had made them return since storms in the desert could be vicious if you were out in the open and not in a high place. Yuugi looked behind him to look at the storm and was surprised to see how quickly it was advancing. It was now at the edge of the city, the roiling mass of darkness spreading out over the desert behind the clouds. No wonder the people had been in such a rush when they were riding back through the city... The last rays of the sun caught on something before it disappeared behind the blue-black mass of clouds, and Yuugi frowned, what had that been..? With a gasp he realized what it was and launched out of the saddle, pushing Atemu out of the way. The first crash of thunder pierced the air as the lightning was let loose.

* * *

Ba-khu-ra hurried along the narrow path, the threat of rain almost chasing him back to the caves. He'd felt a certain satisfaction at hearing one of the guards gossiping about the assassin that was sneaking around, the stupid Pharaoh deserved it. Calming down he took the long tunnel to the door more slowly than he had the path. He hadn't wanted to get caught out in the rain, but now that he was safe under a roof so to speak, he saw no reason in hurrying. And since their home (strange how quickly he had begun to think of the complex of rooms in the caves as his and Ryou's) was on high ground they had nothing to worry about.

He didn't know why, but he felt his steps quicken the further he got inside the complex, he couldn't put his finger on it, but something was wrong...

"Ryou? Where are you?"

The room was empty. The bed had been as neatly made as it could be done, but the albino boy himself was nowhere in sight. He had gotten used to Ryou being in their bedroom when he came home, since this was the most 'lived in' room in the whole complex. Swallowing the nervousness he could feel bubbling up he shook his head. Ryou could be out in the complex exploring for all he knew, why was he so worried?

But searching through the corridors and rooms yielded nothing. _/The brat better not have decided to suddenly go out today of all days!/_ But the question was still looming in hismind; where was Ryou? Thunder echoed through from the outside, the sound being carriedinside from the air-vents in the room he was in. _/He couldn't... Where is he!?/_ Anotherflash of light, peal of thunder, and this time followed by the sound of rain falling harshly. Apparently the wind was quite violent since he could feel a few drops being splattered onto his face. Suddenly anger and panic bubbled up all at once and Ba-khu-raturned around, running for one of the exits. To be more specific the one that led up to the "roof" of the complex, or the top of the hill the caves where hidden in.

_/WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU RYOU!?/_

* * *

Aaaannnd, that's it for this time! Hope you liked it!

Say, does anyone remember the three beings in the Shadow Realm from the first chapter? Anyone would like to try and guess who they are? I tried to make it as clear as possible without giving anything away, but I'm not sure I managed. And once again; thanks to all of you who reviews and read my fic!


	6. The Darkest Hour is Before the Dawn

Disclaimer; I still don't own YGO!

::Ryou to Bakura::

:Bakura to Ryou:

_::Yuugi to Atemu::_

_:Atemu to Yuugi:_

Do you know how frustrating it was to come up with something easy for the mental communication?! I hope what I finally did won't confuse you all. And you know... Why are you all so worried about Ryou? It's sweet really... but didn't I manage to give some gravity to Yuugi and Atemu's situation? /snort/ Just for that, I think I really should have had the first paragraph in this chapter as the last paragraph in the last chapter, so Yuugi would have gotten some attention! Well, not much to do about it, eh? Hope you like this chapter, and this is the last one before the epilogue!

And once again, THANK YOU all of you who reviewed! I heart you all!

i-love-Bakura1489; Heh, heh. Yup, another cliffie. But I think that's the last cliffie in the series. You think that? Thank you! I was trying to keep a certain nobility to him and at the same time keep him as a youth. And if I know it right, he's 15/16, possibly 17, and Bakura is 22/23. Old, ain't he? XD

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel; Thanks, and here. Next chapter!

YamiShadowcat22; Thank you. And yes, in this chappie it will be cleared up what happened with Ryou and Yuugi. A cookie to you for actually _wondering_ what happened with Yuugi. And about the beings, you were one third right, Ra is in there.

Chika of the high Mts; O.o;;; Ryou being mistaken for the assassin? Interesting idea, but have no fear! That's not what happened.

Chibi B-channie; Hee, more BakuraxRyou fluffiness! And all your questions are answered in this chappie!

Hales713; Poo, rambling is fun! I checked your bio and, yay, you like Fullemetal too! XD Luffly isn't it? Anyway... yup, just dumping the memories on poor Atemu would probably not be very smart. Besides, there would have been no story otherwise! And the formatting for thoughts... I dunno, it's just that I've always have used the double slash... /shrug/. And the mental communication are being used in this chappie! I just hope it's not confusing... bleh.

Crimson-Eyed-Angel99; Glad you liked it! /hearts you for all the nice things you said/ And Ryou's fate is revealed in this chapter.

KNT; I'm just happy you review when you do! /glomps back/

The Sabbit; Yeah, Egypt is great, isn't it! XD And as for the beings, you had one third right too, Ra is there. Eheh.. Ryou's around and who killed Atemu... eh, it's a plot device, but the assassin itself isn't very special, the poor person was used as a catalyst for something else! Glad you liked it!

SoulDreamer; Thank you! XD Next update here!

Janie in da House; /snickers/ Yeah, I would have been worried if it was you who took him, simply because it would be hard to continue the story, buut, you'll find out where he went in this chapter!

Cenaia; Thank you, I try my best, since bad grammar and spelling is something I abhor.

* * *

Chapter 6: The Darkest Hour is Before the Dawn 

"Look out!" Yuugi pushed Atemu away, almost stumbling before he got there since he'd more or less thrown himself off the horse, just as a sharp pain pierced him. Distantly he could hear the scream of thunder as the lightning flashed, but he wasn't too aware of anything but the shuddering beat of the blood in his veins. Fire in his back, comforting and familiar arms around him, the blood rushing in his ears, and he vaguely heard someone calling his name. A familiar voice at that. He should probably answer. Absently he wondered if he would die here. This was the afterlife/past and he was from the real world/the future... could he die here then? Wouldn't that be strange?

"Yes, mou hitori no boku?" The whisper ending in a weak cough which brought up a bubble of blood that rose from inside the injured boy, was barely audible in the suddenly very loud sound of falling water, the shouting guards and their footsteps seemingly having faded away in the distance. Atemu's hands shook as he tried to keep a steady grip on the suddenly too pale boy, despite the tan he'd gotten by spending so much time outside, in his arms. He could feel blood running down the slender back, soaking the cloak and being washed away by the rain. Nonsensically he thought that at least the cloak was red, so the blood wouldn't be visible... Then the words of the sentence Yuugi had spoken slammed into him like a freight-train (how did he know what a freight-train was? He'd never seen one in his whole life... they didn't exist here! Wait...), it wasn't ancient Egyptian... but yet so familiar... what... which language...?

_conscious returning in a flash and taking over the small boy, Puzzle laying in front of him like a golden beacon, taking care of that towering bully, meeting the tomb robber in a RPG tabletop game, his grandpa's soul being taken, fighting for it, the disastrous fight against Kaiba in Pegasus' castle, making himself known to the gentle boy who was his light, winning back all the lost souls Pegasus had stolen, then Battle City, the arrival of Malik and his psychotic and dark other half, then again the tomb robber, and finally the duel against his light, and loosing... being free to go forward into his afterlife... but_

"I'm sorry, so sorry. Should never have left... I'm so sorry! AIBOU!!" The scream sundered the air, the day darkened by the clouds, heavy sheets of rain still falling, and all the world seemed to have stilled.

* * *

The exit up to the 'roof' was only there as a look-out spot, since you couldn't get up or down from that hill from the outside. Ba-khu-ra ran, more upset at Ryou's disappearance than he wanted to admit, even to himself. /_That brat better be up there or I will kill him! Is he stupid? Didn't he see the storm clouds?!/_ Thundering up the stairs that led up to the roof he had to slow down the closer he came to the opening; there was no door between the stairs and the outside so the rain was being blown in freely by the wind and making the steps slippery and dangerous. 

Stopping a few steps below the opening to calm himself down he then straightened and squared his shoulders. It wasn't as if Ryou _wouldn't_ be there. And if he isn't... not finishing that thought, Ba-khu-ra walked out on the top of the hill, eyes narrowed. Luckily, for the sake of his sanity and Ryou's health, he saw the boy the second the stepped out into the howling wind and furious storm.

Lightning crashed down around them every few seconds, making the intervals seem unnaturally silent, even the wind being blotted out by the deafening crashes of sound from the force of nature dancing all around them. The thief was about to stalk up to Ryou and drag him forcibly inside, but something made him stop. The long, silvery hair was plastered to his skull and shoulders, rain streaming down his face and upper body, as he apparently had neglected to wear his robes. Slender, pale arms were flung to the sides, as if embracing the wind and rain and his head was thrown back, eyes closed. Laughter rang out between the thunder, free and strong, and Ba-khu-ra couldn't remember ever seeing Ryou this happy. Wait... he'd met Ryou little more than over a week ago, so how could he know Ryou's moods enough to tell that he'd never seen him happier?

"Bakura!" Ryou's voice rang out in the silence between one flash and the next and the tomb robber looked up, into that ecstatic face, blue eyes sparking with life while one arm was extended towards him, hand up in invitation. This was also new... Ryou had never invited him willingly before... Where did _that_ come from?! What...

_taking over the boy at several occasions, sealing the souls of his friends and enemies into miniatures for the tabletop RPG games he so liked, moving, meeting the holder of the Puzzle, trying to take it, failing, trying so many more times to acquire what he hadn't been able to while alive, wanting the stupid Pharaoh to SUFFER as he had done, not treating the boy very well, but what did it matter? He was alive after all, and that should be enough for the weakling. And in the end, ultimate failure during the Ancient Egypt RPG, and loosing, loosing_

Bakura staggered before catching himself, and this time when he looked up Ryou's hand twitched but he didn't withdraw it.

::Bakura?:: The question was simple, the sweetness of forgiveness and slight fear zinging through his brain, the connection pure and whole again. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. If anything, he had learned that much. He strode up to where Ryou was standing, took his hand before roughly embracing his light, his other, pressing the shorter and younger boy into his own body.

"Never again, Ryou."

:Never again, little brother.:

The rain poured down on the two figures on top of the hill in the middle of nowhere, the almost invisible, dark shape of a town huddling at the edge of the hills with a magnificent palace sprawling above the city. But that didn't matter for the two on the hill; they just stood silently while the storm raged around them.

* * *

The darkness was absolute. First he didn't know if he was still unconscious or not, but the darkness was too lively, to full of energy to be any sort of unconsciousness. Looking around didn't reveal anything in particular, only more darkness and shadows... if that now was possible, for darkness to have shadows. So where was he..? Memory of what had happened suddenly made itself known and he looked around wildly. Was this what it was to it? Was it over for his part? Being stuck in the Shadow Realm for... well... the rest of his existence? 

"Of course not, Guardian. We would not allow that." The silent, three-in-one, distant-but-close voice that rushed over him filled him with calm.

"Who are you?" He asked curiously, hoping the voice/es wouldn't be offended.

"You know us, Guardian. You have called on us before." And with something that could have resembled a flash of light (if light could be black but yet somehow lighter than the surroundings) Yuugi was surrounded by three utterly familiar, and terrifying in their presence, beings.

Stunned for a moment at the appearance of the three Gods, Yuugi collected himself and bowed.

"It was you who helped us, wasn't it? Thank you."

The three Gods of the Shadow Realm bowed their heads in deference to the young Pharaoh, and the golden-metallic Ra, his voice rumbling pleasantly through Yuugi, spoke.

"You were falling apart, little Pharaoh, you and the other Guardian. And since the Shadow Realm had been awakened, but not sealed away, after the duel that allowed your darker half his rest, we needed both of you whole in mind and spirit. That meant giving you the help you would need. Your will to change how things were, was enough to work with."

Yuugi frowned, and hesitantly spoke up after a few seconds.

"Not sealed away? Wasn't that what happened after my other... left." The last part had to be choked out, but the three beings waited patiently.

"Not really, Guardian. The Items were sealed away, but only in the most rudimentary of ways. Nothing permanent. And nothing was done about the Shadows. So we needed the primary Guardians' whole. And that meant bringing light and dark together. Which shouldn't really have been separated at all. We misjudged in that instance." The whisper-bellow of Osiris conceded, the frown apparent in its voice.

"Heal and rest, little Pharaoh. Heal and rest. The rest of your life will be spent in protecting the Shadows from the people and the people from the Shadows." The distant roar, so much like the storm that had broken loose just as he got injured, of Obelisk's voice echoed through the nothingness of the Shadow Realm and Yuugi found himself start to slip back into reality... or at least wakefulness. Then he realized they didn't know...

"How do we get home?" He called the now-distant shadows of the three Gods.

"The same way as you arrived, little Pharaoh." Came the far-away answer, ringing down from all around him, again in that three-in-one voice. And then there was no more darkness.

* * *

Dead silence reigned in the room, except for the continuous, soft slapping of feet against stone as the Pharaoh stalked back and forwards, a forbidding frown marring his face. No one dared to suggest that he should go rest, or leave the room, indeed, such an action would probably have met a very swift and unpleasant fate. Mana's large, brown eyes followed the young ruler as he paced, every now and then straying to the body on the bed, and she hoped that their guest would survive this. Because it was clear that if he didn't, they would not have a Pharaoh much longer. The rain had stopped come midnight, and now the creeping fingers of dawn was slowly lighting the sky, painting it in pale gold and oranges. 

Atemu had never thought time could crawl as slowly as it had done these past hours. It had happened a few times before, heart-stopping moments of fear or insecurity, but never in the way it had felt this night. Especially this last hour, just before dawn had come, when the shadows had stubbornly lingered, cold seeping in from everywhere and Yuugi had seemed to stopped breathing every time he had exhaled. He did not dare to retreat to their shared mind in fear of finding nothing. In fear of finding the sunlit and messy room that housed his light's soul dark and cold, the bright and innocent soul it once had held gone. Because there was a very real possibility of Yuugi's mind already having fled and the body simply going on autopilot.

_::Silly, silly Atemu. I wouldn't go before saying good-bye, my other.::_

The dark-skinned man jerked as if he'd been shot, ruby-violet eyes widening. Had he even heard that? Was it just his imagination..?

"Mana? Did you hear something just now?"

The magician-apprentice looked up and shook her head, soft brown hair dancing around her face and delicate shoulders.

"No, Pharaoh-sama. Nothing..." The soft groan from the other side of the room interrupted the girl and both Mana and Atemu whipped around to stare at the bed. Had it only been their imagination? Another soft, almost imperceptible sound from the bed and one hand twitched slightly, and Atemu was up at the side of the bed immediately. Mana hopped of her chair and got to the door, retreating out of the room when she was the blinding (and very much not meant for the public) smile that suddenly spread across Atemu's face.

"Yuugi?" He didn't dare hope, so what was that happily glowing, shivering little ball in his stomach then?

"Y-yes?" the whisper sounded scratchy, and he almost missed it, but then those wide, brilliantly purple eyes fluttered open, and he couldn't contain the smile that threatened to break his insides in two if he kept it there any longer.

"I'm so-"

_::Hush, my other. No excuses, everything's fine now, isn't it? You remember.::_

Atemu was about to protest some more, everything _wasn't_ alright. Yuugi was still hurt after all, but the fiercely determined expression (loosing much of its force due to Yuugi's paleness and the exhausted air around him) that graced Yuugi's face made him reconsider and he nodded obediently.

_:If you say so, aibou.:_

_::I do. Now kiss me.::_

Yuugi broke out into a bright smile and a few, weak giggles at Atemu's surprised sputtering.

"Yuugi!" But Atemu was smiling and bowed down over the bed, pressing a gentle kiss against his light's lips. When the darker half retreated Yuugi frowned and was about to protest, but Atemu raised a hand.

"Later, aibou. I promise. But you need to rest."

"I feel fine!" Yuugi said huffily, crossing his arms over his chest and glared frustrated at his other.

"Yes, but if you rest, you will continue to feel fine, and be allowed out of the bed that much faster." Atemu said patiently, a teasing smile lurking in the corners of his mouth. Yuugi pouted, before sticking his tongue out and smiled.

_:Aibou... don't stick your tongue out if you aren't going to use it.:_ The Pharaoh thought mock-sternly to his other and Yuugi grinned cheekily.

"If you get down here, I'll use it alright!"

Atemu retreated then (with dignity of course, the Pharaoh of Khemet would never admit to _fleeing_ out of a room in his own palace), hunted out of the room by Yuugi's bright and mischievous laughter.

* * *

"Yuugi-kun!" 

The anxious shout by a familiar voice had Yuugi almost bouncing in bed.

"Ryou-kun! You're here! I knew Bakura would find you." He said with a grin and gave a soft oof and groan as Ryou enthusiastically (for Ryou) hugged him.

"Find me? He grabbed me in the market and dragged me away." Rolling his eyes, both omotes looked back at where Bakura was lurking in the doorway, looking extremely unhappy at having to be anywhere near Atemu... and having to behave civilly at that! The Pharaoh, on his side of the room, by the archway leading to the balcony, was glaring at the tomb robber as if trying to petrify him where he stood.

"Tomb robber." Clipped and curt tone, ruby-violet eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Pharaoh." A near-growl, arms crossed over his chest as he slouched against the wall, glaring sullenly at his younger nemesis.

"Oh, come ON, you two. We could cut the animosity in here with a dull knife and serve it as cake with lots of helpings for everybody!" Ryou said frustrated, flinging his hands in the air. Yuugi nodded and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and with hate as frosting and an eyeball or two on top for cherries!"

Yuugi and Ryou looked at each other and burst out laughing, leaving their darker halves to stare at them with annoyed looks. Calming down the two boys looked up snickering from where they'd collapsed on the bed.

"What?" They said, more or less in unison with matching innocent smiles, but their eyes were sparkling mischievously. Both yamis shook their heads, reluctantly smiling at their happy omotes. They could overlook being the butt of this joke, since Yuugi and Ryou were so happy right now, almost bubbling over with excitement.

* * *

Waving the two reluctant yamis over to the bed Yuugi explained his meeting with the three Gods eagerly, but trailed off, looking out the archway to the sky beyond it. 

"We... can get home. They told me how to do it, but if you don't want to..." Yuugi and Ryou looked up at their respective yami earnestly, nervousness fairly vibrating off of them.

"If you don't want to leave, we can always stay." Both muttered, not being able to continue to meet their darker halves' eyes and looked down. Yuugi didn't say what Obelisk had told him, which clearly showed the Gods' expected them to return to reality, with their yamis, to keep an eye on the Shadow Realm. But it was simple really, if Atemu and Bakura didn't want to leave, then they shouldn't, and Ryou and Yuugi would stay here. Nothing more to it.

"IDIOT!" The twinned voice echoed through the room, bouncing off the stone before dying away. Yuugi and Ryou jumped, sheepishly looking up at their yamis, but with identical grins on their faces due to Atemu and Bakura having spoken at the same time. Atemu turned with a cordial smile to the thief.

"You, or me?" He said with a raised eyebrow, one hand indicating their omotes. Bakura shrugged, looking indifferent, but with a gleam in his shadowed violet eyes.

"By all means, be my guest." The tomb robber said regally, a small smirk on his lips. Nodding, the Pharaoh of Khemet turned to the confused boys on the bed and shook his head, affecting a disappointed look and his hands placed on his hips.

"You two are going back, and we are going to go with you. That was never in question."

Grinning, Yuugi and Ryou nodded happily, feeling much better. Then the short teen cocked his head and looked curiously at his other.

"Atemu, how could Ryou and Bakura just waltz in here? Or did you sneak in?" The last part was directed towards Ryou, who shook his head. Atemu shrugged, the many gold ornaments he wore glinting in the sun that streamed through the archway.

"After I got my memories back, and you had been taken care of, I told the Captain of the guard to allow anyone looking like Bakura or reminding of him, entrance and to be brought immediately to me. It was only a guess, but I suspected that since I had gotten my memories back, Bakura would already have them, or would soon get them."

Yuugi nodded, and then grimaced.

"And the assassin?" He asked, clearly not happy at having to ask that question. Atemu's burning eyes darkened and looked like they were in flames as he looked away shortly.

"The assassin was caught, and is... taken care of." The dark threat and deep anger had the others in the room deeming it better not to ask, but Bakura nodded appreciatively. Icy-blue eyes met deep purple and the two boys, who had traveled through life, death and time itself to look for their other halves, grinned triumphantly.

"We are going home!"


	7. The Stars Always Lead Home

Disclaimer; Don't own it. So there!

Ahahah! /feels stupid/ I _TOTALLY_ forgot to mention that Yuugi was hit by the assassin's knife in last chapter! /bangs head against wall/ Gah! Well, hopefully it wasn't TOO confusing. And here's the last part of SoS, hope you all liked it! I have some ideas for the sequel, which will be termed Land of Light (and no, I have no real reason for giving it that name... not yet anyway... eh. /sweatdrop/), so hopefully that one will get out too.

Thanks to all who noticed and enjoyed my story! I luff you all!

The Sabbit; Yesh, I loved that scene too! I had so much fun with it! XD Thank you!

The Uncreative One; Heheh, you do have a thing for Ryou and Bakura. Seems most here do. And yes, a sequel is planned, I have a most fun villain (and yes, this time there actually IS a villain) and there will be more fluffiness! Lots of it! /cough/

Chika of the high Mts; Here you go, epilogue and last chapter. Hope you like it.

Hales731; Yay! Fullmetal is now sharing with Yu-Gi-Oh! as my fave manga. And _I_ won't watch any stupid dubbing! I'll rather wait for a sub. Dubbing is EVIL. Ah, yes, thank you! And I will try to keep the flow.

Inuyasha0001; Oh, don't worry about it, just a review here and there and I'm happy!

i-love-bakura1489; XD I feel honored you like it so much. But everything must have an end, ne? No matter how much we like it (thinks of Yu-Gi-Oh! ending... bleh). Hai, hai I will!

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel; Thank you! And this one was slow in coming simply because I hadn't really figured it out, but when I sat down it flowed. Hope you like this one too.

Chibi B-channie; Yep, fuffiness between Bakura and Ryou is a good thing. Hehe, glad you liked the chapter and how Kura found Ryou.

Seren147; Reviewed two times in a row, for two chapters I see. Thanks for that! /heart/ And the sequel... XD More fantasy and fluffiness, shaken with a hopefully somewhat original (and if not original, fun) villain. You'll get an idea where the sequel will be played out at the end of this chappie. XD /glomps/

KNT; /glomps/ XD Yes, Yuugi's almost all healed. Well enough to go home at any rate. And what injured him was a knife the assassin threw, but I was so stupid I TOTALLY forgot to mention that... somehow it slipped my mind... /slaps forehead/.

SoulDreamer; Update! Hope you like.

WolfGirl90; I'm happy you think it's well thought out, that's what I wanted it to be/tried for.

Xamosy; Last chappie for this one! And thankies for liking it! Hope you read and like the sequel when I get my ass off (soon) to write it!

Silvershadowfire; I know, I know, Squishy-sama did a boo-boo, forgetting to mention the knife. Blah. Anyway, yeah, the memories... I've started making some flashback's like that and I like the compressed feel of it, like several things are rushing by at the same time, or very quickly past. Happy you found it good. And I don't know, but I just got stuck with Ryou in the rain and it would give me a chance to have him a bit away from Bakura but not too far. Ah, yes, nobody threaten the omotes or death to them.

YamiShadowcat22; :) Hehe, Glad you liked it! And whether or not the yamis get bodies of their own, read the chappie, it comes up here!

* * *

Epilogue; The Stars Always Lead Home 

The moon rose, full and shining, over the sands and dunes of ancient Egypt, the sun having sunk behind the horizon mere minutes ago and the last sunlight still staining the sky in the east blood and orange. Two horses made their way leisurely through the city below the palace, their destination a place of lingering horror and pain, even in a place meant for rest.

It had taken quite some arguing from Atemu to allow the four to leave on their own, without any guards. But it was Bakura's impatient threat of "If you don't agree soon, I'll simply take the Pharaoh or his puny copy as hostage and get us out of here that way." And since no one doubted the thief's sincerity, the Priests had readily agreed. Yuugi's back still hurt slightly if strained, but none of the two young men had wanted to wait any longer, and so their other halves had given in to their pleas, heavily dosed with fake, but irresistible, sweetness and sparking eyes. Yuugi leaned his chin against the cloth of his other's cloak, warmth seeping through it and into the young man. They had done it. It had actually been possible. Sure, they had had a little help, but mostly it was all their doing. Their other halves were back with them again. Ryou's eyes caught his and they both grinned knowingly, listening with a half-ear to the dueling with words that was being played out by the riders of the two horses.

"... Are you stupid, Pharaoh!? You can't do it like that, only a brainless idiot would use _that_ one!"

"Oh, as if _you_ have any better ideas, tomb robber? Face it, you wouldn't even be able to _handle_ a situation like that, let alone figure out how to _fix_ it."

"Why, you..!"

Letting the fierce, but still good-natured squabbling recede into the back of his mind Yuugi grinned to himself as he looked out over the moonlight drenched dunes of sand, swelling gently like the stomachs of pregnant women, feeling at peace. Ryou's eyes were closed, leaning into the rough cloth of Bakura's robe, a small smile on his lips. Yup, all was well. Yuugi burrowed closer to the warm back of his other and relaxed, this would take a while. While they weren't pressing the horses, they weren't out on a leisurely stroll either, but all in all, they'd probably arrive in the shadow of the sacrificed town of Kuru Eruna somewhere around daybreak. Yuugi found it fitting somehow.

* * *

There were no clouds covering the lightening sky, so the four travelers had unobstructed view of the first hesitant tongues of flame touching the sky, announcing the arrival of Ra and a new day under his blazing protection. Ryou stretched carefully, not wanting to fall off the horse, but feeling stiff from having almost-slept while riding. The ruins rose like a dark stain against the brightening and intense blue sky. Like a portal to death and the underworld, or, in this case, the real world. Shaking his head, sending white strands flying everywhere, Ryou snaked a hand further around Bakura, laying it on one of his other's dark hands, not saying anything, but offering silent support. The short, wild hair his other sported in his original body, and the angle Ryou sat at offered him no insight in Bakura's expression, but he thought the hand under his relaxed minutely and a flash, lightning quick, of gratitude swept through their link. Almost imperceptible, but Ryou was used to the subtle changes and currents that flowed under the surface of his other. 

The atmosphere was no less heavy than it had been when Ryou and Yuugi had appeared here, the air still seemingly unnaturally cold, and the light breeze like souls wailing in their ears. But they all ignored it, or tried their best to ignore it and walked through the village, Ryou and Yuugi looking around for the right doorway to take them back. They all stopped in front of a house that was as ruined and burnt as all the others, but there _was_ a difference here, a shift in the air, if you will. The energies of the Shadow Realm swirled around and in and out of the doorway, invisible but testifying that this was the right doorway.

"You ready?" Atemu murmured and Yuugi nodded, squaring his shoulders. This was it, they were going home. A glance cast around the little group of four and they all nodded. Ryou and Yuugi stepped through first, their other halves right behind them, linked together with their lighter halves by their hands. And in a perfect reverse of when they had entered the doors in the tomb, darkness so absolute it seemed solid, much like the Shadows, blasted them in the face. Closing their eyes they walked on, steadily knowing they'd notice when they had come through.

* * *

Malik shifted nervously. He didn't know why he and Isis hadn't gone home directly after Ryou and Yuugi had left, but they had lingered, not wanting to go just yet for some reason. But the flashlights wouldn't hold up forever and his restlessness was growing, he wanted to leave now. Or at least do something or have something happen. But what would that be? Yuugi and Ryou had enough on their hands, and could hardly come tumbling out of the doors any second now, just to say hi. So stupid... then he realized the light wasn't coming from their flashlights anymore, but instead from the front of the room. He blinked, feeling Isis grab his hand, but didn't shake it off since he was busy being confused. Had it really taken such a short amount of time_? /Idiot. Time probably flows differently there, so what seemed like mere minutes to us could be a lot longer for the danger twins./_ Smirking now, Malik watched in fascination as the door opened for the third time and four figures became silhouetted against the light. 

When the slightly stale air of the tomb met his face, Yuugi opened his eyes and looked down, surprised but happy at seeing the Ishtars there.

"Hi, Malik-kun, Isis-san! Were we gone long?" He couldn't help the chirp to his voice, he was happy, and had a right to it too, dammit! Isis shook her head and her brother smirked.

"No, just five minutes or so, I haven't looked at my watch." The blond Egyptian started to snicker when he saw the stunned faces of his Japanese friends stare down at him. _/Friends? __Yes, I guess so. Why not? They've certainly behaved as we're friends the part day and night they stayed here before going./_

"Malik!" Isis said, lightly thumping her brother on his head and rolling her dark-blue, jewel-like eyes.

"Time probably flows differently here and in there, for us it was only minutes and for you..." Isis trailed off; unconsciously echoing Malik's thought from earlier.

"A few weeks. A lot happened." Ryou offered and Malik snorted.

"When _doesn't_ a lot happen when anything involved with Yuugi or you are happening?" He asked rhetorically, looking over at the two shadows (no pun intended) behind the teenagers.

Seemed Atemu and Bakura had gotten their own bodies... while Atemu looked exactly the same as he had the few seconds before he had disappeared through the doorway, Egyptian regalia and all, Malik didn't know how Bakura would look, and frankly... _/I like. But he looked good in Ryou's body too. But there's simply no real comparison./_ Letting his eyes wander over that dark and muscular form he felt a little jealous at Ryou. The soft-looking albino had that one _all_ to himself.

"Are we going to stay here all day, or move?" Bakura grunted, and as if in answer, the doors behind them clicked shut, leaving them in momentary darkness before the flashlights kicked in again.

"I guess that answers the question, huh, Bakura?" Ryou said with a smile.

"Does, _sen_. Now _move_. While I like dark tombs, there's nothing in here worth stealing except for the Puzzle and all the crap Malik's wearing, and that I wouldn't touch in fear of getting my fingers bitten off." Bakura said, his smirk evident in his voice.

"And keep that in mind, tomb robber!" Malik snapped back, not overly concerned with having his jewelry termed as "crap", Bakura was all hot air and no burn at the moment.

_/And he called Ryou sen... That means that maybe.../_ Feeling heartened by that thought, he turned and followed the little Pharaoh and his darker half up the stairs and out into the burning sunlight of the Egyptian day Ryou and Yuugi had left behind both quite some while ago, and not long ago at all.

"Oh, man, now I'm gonna get sand _everywhere_ again! I should have kept the other clothes!

Why did we change back now again, Ryou-kun?" Yuugi's frustrated whine rose in the air and chuckles followed it.

"So at least _we_ wouldn't get stared at, Yuugi-kun."

"Oh, yeah."

Laughter cascaded all around them, and finally, finally things were as they should be.

* * *

A few months later; 

"When was it Malik-kun would come and visit for the summer holidays?" Yuugi asked his other while concentrating on some of the last of his homework for this term, school would be out in a few weeks, and that freedom floated like wisp-thin clouds on the horizon.

"A week after your term's out, aibou. You should know."

"I know, I know. I just wanted to be sure." Yuugi said absently, frowning at a particular problem that was proving troublesome. Suddenly his pen was plucked out of his hand and a warm nose nuzzled his neck.

"While I'm all for you doing your homework Yuugi, rest a little. The problem will most probably become clearto you after having spent some time away from it." His other muttered against his neck, lightly biting down on the spot under his lips.

"Okay, my other..." Yuugi agreed readily, turning around in his chair and attacking Atemu's mouth with his own, cheerfully plundering the depths of that silky smoothness before his other advanced.

"Say..." Breathing was heavier than before, but both found the breathlessness and rushing of blood in their ears something else to cherish and simply waited for it to die down.

"What was that invitation from Kaiba-kun? You snatched it before I could read it."

Atemu shrugged and looked vaguely disappointed.

"Kaiba invited us to have anothersession in that VR game of his."

"And you were hoping for a tournament." Yuugi said knowingly, "Don't worry, my other, I'm sure there will be some tournament this summer. But..." snatching up the letter from the edge of his desk (he had just realized it had been placed there earlier) he quickly read through the short and to the point note. "Isn't this the date when Anzu has her recital? We promised we'd go."

"Then we go, aibou, and nothing more to it than that. Kaiba will simply have to be satisfied with Ryou, the tomb robber and Malik. We can't always come when he wants to." Atemu said with a little snort at the end, hugging his omote to himself and leaning his chin on the lighter-skinned teen's shoulder.

"You're right my other. After all, what could happen? Kaiba wouldn't let anyone play if it wasn't safe." Yuugi said with a nod, leaning his head backwards and relaxing. Life was good.

* * *

Short, VERY short, glossary;   
_Sen_; ancient egyptian for brother

Now, then! /claps hands/ Hope you liked, had fun and all that! Hope to see you when I get the sequel started! (.... and hopefully I'll be able to _continue_ and_ finish_ the sequel and not get stuck somewhere and just stop writing!)


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